Ever Marked (Mystics of Mercy Ridge #1)

8. Ledger

Chapter 8

Ledger

H oly fuck. I have a mate.

I stroke my thumb over the symbol on my inner wrist in awe, hardly able to believe that it’s real. My heart hasn’t stopped pounding since Ever branded me with her mark, the new swirling sun tattoo a match to hers.

It isn’t unheard of to find your fated mate, but the chances are like finding a needle in a haystack the size of Earth. Short of arranging a handshake style speed dating event that encompasses the entire world, it’s damn near impossible to cross paths with the people the Fates have decided belong together, so most people have given up hope. Plenty of others resent the idea of a mate being chosen for them at all, and most centers have fully embraced the idea of building their bond group as they see fit. It’s as easy as popping down to the market for the ceremonial potion and sealing the magically created bond with sex, the center’s mark appearing on their chosen’s wrist the same as a true mate bond.

With women having their pick of the lot, I knew better than to get my hopes up of ever bonding and settling down. My fated mate moving in next door ? I must’ve saved a busload of burning orphans in a past life.

“What on earth are you doing?” Kai dries his hands on a rag as he steps away from the drink counter for a front row seat to watch me make a complete and utter fool of myself.

“New employee starts tomorrow,” I mumble, unloading another armful of books from the shelf. “Need to give them something to do.”

He blinks at me in confusion before a sly, knowing grin splits his face. “It’s the new chick, isn’t it?” A growl slips out before I can help it and he throws his head back laughing. “You sure didn’t waste any time, did you?” With another chuckle, he tucks his rag in his back pocket and helps unload the shelves.

“Like you have any room to talk,” I scoff. “How long did it take Lainey’s eyebrows to grow back again? You know, after she kissed you and you were so flustered, you burned off her eyebrows and half her hair, then threw her in the lake. ”

“She was on fire, what was I supposed to do?!” he shouts, sounding as indignant as Ever when I called her out on giving a stranger a ride yesterday, that I burst into laughter. Kai soon joins in, following my lead as I shuffle the books, reshelving them without rhyme or reason.

“When you know, you know. And no doubt about it, Ever is meant to be mine.” I flash him my wrist, grinning like a lovesick fool.

Kai’s eyes widen and he snatches my arm in a vice grip. “No fucking way,” he breathes, awe transforming into a matching grin and he claps me hard on the back with a laugh. “Couldn’t have happened to a better guy. Congratulations, bossman.”

“Now I just need her to accept the bond.”

Since yesterday, my instincts have been riding me to storm over to Ever’s house and drag her back to my room where I know she’ll be safe. To cover her in my scent so all of the other shifters in town know she’s mine. If she rejects me? Pretty sure I’ll go completely feral.

I’d never admit it to a single soul, but the only way to keep myself in check last night was to sleep outside, watching to ensure no one came within fifty feet of her door. For once, I’m glad Myles is buried in work and hasn’t been home the last couple of days; my lack of control can stay a secret. I’m going to have to talk to him about installing a security system in her house as soon as he comes up for air from his current project, though.

“Ever, huh? Well, if anyone has a chance of making it past her guard dog, it’s you,” Kai declares.

“Guard dog?” Dropping everything in my arms, I grab his arm, demanding his full attention. “What the hell are you talking about?”

Surprise skitters across his face. “You haven’t heard? Your girl isn’t the only new mystic in town. Charlie has been telling everyone that’ll listen how he was down at the hospital the other day when a teal-haired stunner left hand-in-hand with some scary motherfucker.” He gives me a knowing look. “Face carved up with a huge X and shooting daggers at anyone that so much as breathed in her direction.”

I may have been raised in the middle of nowhere, but even I’ve heard the stories. What kid doesn’t imagine growing up to join one of the assassins’ guilds at some point? Of being able to use our abilities without fear of humans hunting us down, because we’d be so badass, we could kill them faster than they could blink if they tried? And an assassin only gets marked with an X when he leaves the guild life behind… if he survives the send off.

Ever didn’t drag a random stranger into town. She ran over a goddamned rogue.

Fucking hell.

“You do realize she’s going to judge you hardcore for this, right?” Kai asks, thankfully changing the subject and gesturing to the chaotic shelf that’s already giving me an eye twitch.

“What do you mean? She needs something to do or she’s going to know that I created a position just to hire her.”

“What kind of man owns a bookstore, yet doesn’t understand alphabetical order?” he points out, silently laughing at me. “Or at least sorts his books by genre? She’s going to think you’re incompetent. ” He’s clearly itching to be fired, knowing how much that word pisses me off.

Incompetent isn’t in my vocabulary. Since the moment I stepped foot on that bus when I ran away at sixteen, I’ve made it my mission to become everything my father isn’t. A real alpha capable of protecting and providing for the people that rely on him. Something breaks around the house? I learn how to fix it. Myles forgets to take care of himself when he’s in work mode? I arrange meals to be dropped off and set alarms on his phone to ensure he eats. My mate needs a job? Hell, I’d pay her to sit around the shop and read if that’d make her happy.

Come to think of it…

“I needed that, thank you.”

“Figured you needed to get out of panic mode, and pissing you off is always a surefire way to do it.” Kai claps me on the shoulder, heading back to the coffee counter. “You’ve got this boss. And if the rogue kills you for making a move on his girl, well,” he shrugs, “Myles can still sign our paychecks, right?”

He yelps as I chuck a book at him, cackling as he gets back to work. But he makes a valid point. I need to prove to Ever that I can take care of her, that I can handle anything life throws at us.

Even her homicidal boyfriend.